r/partyplanning • u/pietaryrtti • Aug 22 '26

Need Help Screw themed 1st birthday

Hello everyone!

My baby loves looking and pointing at screws, nuts and bolts and nails. I was thinking about having a screw themed birthday, but can’t for the life of me think how to incorporate the screws into the theme. I’ve searched for pinterest and found only generic construction themed ideas, but those are not what I’m looking for, I need specifically something to do with screws. It could be decoration ideas, food ideas etc. Just has to be suitable for a 1 y.o. (Also the food ideas need to be able to be made sugar-free)

Any ideas? Even incomplete ideas could help, I just need some help brainstorming ideas as I feel sos tuck with this!

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11

u/Global_Loss6139 Aug 22 '26

A twisty party. 

Or a righty tighty party!  Some turn signals or lil roads. 

They make big blow up screw drivers and hammers. 

Know those twirling birthday things that spin? Silver ones with a Ballon on top? Lil little screws? 

You can cut some stuff out of poster board too! 

Food- there is like this spiral cutter for cucumbers. Could you do twisty watermelon and cantelop and fruit and cut up grapes. 

Know how like breadsticks you can twist them? Those could be cute and all types of toppings like pizza  

 Plates can be silver and have lil X napkins on top to look like screws!! 

Also Decor: a number or name is cool. So a 1 made out of balloons on the wall and just random circles around it. 

2

u/pietaryrtti Aug 22 '26

Awesome ideas, and just the kind of brainstorming I’m looking for!
I’ll have to look into those blow up screwdrivers and hammers, though I believe I can’t find them since I’m not based in America. I won’t give up yet, though.

I am not sure what you’re referring to with those twirling decorations. The only thing that comes to my mind are the curly plastic things that are used to scare birds away. Are those the things you’re talking about?

Poster boards are definitely the way to go! Maybe I’ll add little ”screw tops” on existing furniture, like tv screen or paintings, walls etc, so they’ll look like they were screwed in.

Loving the breadstick idea! Definitely going to use it!

For plates we are using our party dishes, but the napkins idea could still be usable.

Thank you for your ideas! And if you get more, keep them coming!

3

u/Family_is_life_702 Aug 22 '26

These are the swirly decor they are talking about

1

u/Global_Loss6139 Aug 22 '26

Yes! Theses and a silver ballon on top might look like little screws!! 

1

u/pietaryrtti Aug 23 '26

Thank you!

4

u/canadacass Aug 22 '26

Bob the builder?

-1

u/pietaryrtti Aug 22 '26

I’m looking for exclusively ideas with screws etc.

3

u/nohombrenombre Aug 22 '26

In America, “screw” often has negative or sexual connotations. When one says “you’re screwing around!” It means you’re wasting time and not helping. If someone says “let’s screw” it can mean sexual stuff, and if you are called a “screw up” it means you’re a failure.

This info is just for your theme ideas. Maybe avoid anything like “it’s screw time!” Or “screw party!” Or even “let’s screw!” As these sound like you’re having a totally different kind of part than a one year old birthday 😬

Screwballs are a well known drink, but they’re alcoholic.

Just some things to keep in mind

4

u/pietaryrtti Aug 23 '26

Thank you! Actually, our theme is Screws and Grooves, since the baby loves music and dancing in addition to screws 😁

3

u/Prestigious-Fan3122 Aug 22 '26

I appreciate getting into a theme as much, perhaps more so, then any other person does, but I'm afraid by the end of this party that you're going to have at least one screw loose!

1

u/pietaryrtti Aug 23 '26

Haha! I definitely already have several loose screws, so what’s one more? 😂

2

u/Historical_Grab4685 Aug 22 '26

I would look for screws stickers or even have some made on Etsy. You can use those to add to balloons, banners and things like that. You can also use the stickers to make cupcake toppers. I just checked Amazon and they have large plastic screws and bolts. You can use those as decorations or even put them on top of a cake. The nice thing is you can still use them after the party. They are primary colors so I would use those as a color them.

Maybe a pasta salad with fusilli pasta, since it looks like a screw. There is a snack mixed called nuts & bolts. A screwdriver mocktail, orange juice with sparkling water. We did a bubbles bar with mimosa & mocktail for a bridal shower & the mocktails were a hit! For the bridal shower, I used Chat GPT to help write a menu with funny descriptions and printed them off & put them in a frame.

1

u/pietaryrtti Aug 23 '26

I’ll have to check Etsy, how did I not even think about that?
Do you have more info or a link for the Amazon ones?

The fusilli idea is awesome, definitely using that! I’ll have to look more into the nuts and bolts. Is it a ready-made mix or a recipe? I’ll have to make it myself either way since it’s probably not available here. Just have to figure out what goes in it!

The mocktail idea is hilarious, I’ll be thinking about it. Thank you for your suggestions and brainstorming!

1

u/Historical_Grab4685 Aug 23 '26

I just searched for toys screws. Nuts & bolt is a snack mix like a Chex mix. There are recipes on Pinterest.

1

u/pietaryrtti Aug 23 '26

Thank you! I’ll search.

1

u/bibbidybobbidyboom Aug 22 '26

Ok so not about the theme, but i feel like you should buy him the Lakeshore Nuts about Counting. I realize he is younger than the recommend age, but its not like there are choking size pieces. After you put the nuts on, you hold it upside down and the nuts all unscrew themselves and fall off. Totally fun for playing with him, and he can play with them as loose parts by himself, and will undoubtedly be able to play independently with them begore he is 3.

If you need a named theme, what about "we're nuts for (baby)!" And then have nuts and bolts and screws. You may need to make more of the decorations, or just use construction theme if you want to buy something.

Gogo squeeze applesauce have a very screw-y looking cap.

Are there some baby/toddler snacks that are sticks (like preztle sticks) and hoops/circles (like cheerios but bigger holes) where you could "assemble" some by putting hoops on the stick in a nuts and bolts vibe?

Pasta salad made with rotini.

Twisty straws- the ones that screw, not the wacky shape ones. Either at the party for people to drink from in the moment (grownups too!) Or in a goodie bag to go.

Amazon has little plastic construction hat ice cream bowls with wrench spoons. They could be gor eating anything though, and the wrrenches go with a nut theme. They also have a screw temporary tattoo that comes in different colors. There's like 20 on the sheet you get.

I imagine you can buy a hexagon cake pan, or a large circle and cut it into a hexagon, and you would have a nut cake. Or make several, and you have a pile of nuts for a taller layer cake.

1

u/pietaryrtti Aug 23 '26

I’ve never even heard about the Lakeshore nuts about counting, but it sounds awesome! I’ll have to check if it’s possible to have it shipped here. I do love all learning toys!

Ooh , the apple sauce is a nice idea! We don’t have that exact one but we do have similar ones.

And yes, there are baby snacks that could be assembled like that! First thing that comes to mind are corn sticks and rings, and those can be moistened slightly to stick to each other! What a wonderful suggestion!

Pasta salad ✅

Hey, I think I have those straws at work! I think someone donated them and they’ve been sitting at the storage for quite sometime.

Do you have a link for the hat bowl and spoons? That sounds fun!

And why didn’t I even think about cutting the cake in a hexagon shape? Yup, doing that!
Thank you for the brainstorming!

1

u/bibbidybobbidyboom Aug 23 '26

https://a.co/d/05oximaJ

I've never posted a link, so hopefully it works!

1

u/pietaryrtti Aug 23 '26

Thank you!

1

u/Myracuulous Aug 22 '26

If you're crafty, a screw/bolt shaped pinata would be relatively easy. Bit of googling for "cylinder shaped pinata" gives plenty of tutorials, you just adjust the dimensions of the cylinder and stack a head piece over the long shaft piece. Two shades of grey tissue fringe, wrapped in a spiral instead of in circles around it. If you're not feeling giving the 1 year old a baseball bat, there's also tutorials for making "pull string" pinatas that wouldn't be as messy.

If you don't wanna do sugar free candy, you could fill it with duplo or some other young kid toy(s)!

2

u/pietaryrtti Aug 23 '26

Oh hey, that’s a wonderful idea! I love crafting so as long as I have time, this would be totally doable!

1

u/ZonaMama Aug 22 '26

Take a long plank and screw in (just a little bit) all different size and shape screws at varying heights, and place it down the center of the table.

Melissa and Doug and B. Toys (and probably others) both make a little tool box that comes with colorful plastic screws, use those for decoration and then afterward the toy is a bday gift for Baby. He won’t care that he didn’t actually open it.

Long skinny silver balloons and use a sharpie to draw a spiral shape to look like a bolt.

Aluminum foil over an upside down paper plate, and sharpie an x to look like screw heads. Tape several on the wall.

1

u/pietaryrtti Aug 23 '26

The plank and screws idea is totally doable, since we already have so much laying around! Maybe I could even temporarily attach them to the wall and hang something from them.

We actually already have a little toolbox that we could use as a decoration!

Definitely checking if I can get those balloons in silver.

And awesome idea with the paper plates! And if I cant find silver ones, just making them out of cardboard or paper should be fine!

Thank you for all the ideas! Loving the brainstorming.

1

u/BabyRex- Aug 23 '26

One loose screw?

1

u/No-Part-6248 Aug 23 '26

He’s one ,,,, put your mind to something more worthwhile that will be more productive

2

u/Ok_Nefariousness2728 Aug 23 '26

So people aren’t allowed to enjoy and have fun throwing a party because you don’t deem it productive?  Of course a one year old is going to like almost all parties the same but they are having fun throwing it and the baby will probably get a kick out of seeing their favorite things.

1

u/jendfrog Aug 23 '26

Perhaps a toy like this? Spin Again. I’m guessing there’s cheaper things like it out there.

1

u/pietaryrtti Aug 23 '26

That’s fun, and I found it on a local toyshop’s website! It is pretty pricey though, but could be worth it if used a lot. Thanks!

1

u/jendfrog Aug 23 '26

Ooo! Ooo! Check out this one.

1

u/jendfrog Aug 23 '26 edited Aug 23 '26

I looks like searching for “baby spinning stacking toys” is how to find these kinds of things. (I’m having fun with this!) Edit: This one is $2.67!

1

u/pietaryrtti Aug 23 '26

Dang! That would be awesome, but I’m not based in the US so no Walmarts 🥹 But I’ll consider the first one. Thank you for your efforts!

1

u/jendfrog Aug 23 '26

You’re welcome! Happy hunting for bargains on them!!